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Salads

I’ve often heard of and enjoyed wilted spinach salads, where the greens are almost cooked by a hot bacon dressing. Only once do I remember someone mentioning a wilted lettuce salad. I think it was one of the dispatchers when I worked for a charter airline. He said it was something his mother used to make – part of their German heritage.

We had a lot of lettuce in the fridge and I thought I would try this out, using the hot bacon dressing from my spinach salad recipe . Everything tastes better with bacon, right?

I have to thank my vegetarian friend, Jill, for introducing me to quinoa. It’s actually a grass seed from South America, but it’s light texture and slightly nutty taste make is a perfect substitute for rice or couscous. Versatile quinoa is a good source of protein and minerals, even better for you than brown rice.

I love the flavor the quinoa picks up from the broth and spices; there’s a compelling, earthy warmth to it- when combined with texture of the vegetables, this is a dish you’ll make again and again.

Add oil and garlic to saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring, until garlic just begins to brown

Add quinoa, broth, cumin, cayenne, and salt and pepper to pan. (I went really light on the salt because I used a Knorr bullion cube and water for my stock). Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes

We’ve both been fighting a cold, so last week, I decided to visit the little market near our building rather than walking a kilometer both ways to shop at the supermarket. Now the big dilemma – what will I find in this tiny shop that I can make into a meal? They had ground turkey, so our protein would be turkey meatloaf with sauce. The very limited fresh produce wasn’t appealing that day, so I went with a jar of mixed vegetables. I didn’t notice until I took the photo below that it was a Mexican veg mix. (It didn’t jump out at me as a Mexican combination, but who am I to rob Polish households of their international flair?)

My plan was to make this into a molded, mayo based salad like I’ve seen in so many Polish restaurants. It always reminds me of the ensalada ruso (Russian salad) that was so common in Spain. I wasn’t working from a recipe, but I decided to garnish these starchy vegetables much like I would a potato salad.

Did you make this recipe?

Egg salad is an American classic and an inexpensive source of protein. You can spoon it on top of greens and serve with cherry tomatoes or you can spread it on bread for a delicious sandwich.

Making hard boiled eggs should be a simple thing. I tried following the instructions on Simply Recipes for making the perfect hard boiled egg. I never seem to get the timing right. This technique helped a lot, as long as I remember to set a timer. If you forget the eggs long enough, you still get a green outline on the yolks. It’s so easy to get distracted by other projects, at least it is for me.

Have I mentioned how much I love having herbs in our window boxes? Sniping a few sprigs to add to our meals adds a special touch to both the flavor and the appearance, and I have to think that the more green things you consume the better. Besides this eggs salad, I’ll do the same just add a mix of what we have growing to a green salad or sprinkle some chopped chives on top of scrambled eggs. Try it, you’ll feel like you’re eating in a fine restaurant.

My favorite addition to this egg salad has to be the finely diced red bell pepper. Besides the flavor, I love the color and the tiny bit of crunch the pepper adds to the dish.

IA light and healthy Bób Sałatki Polish Broad Bean Salad; the Polish is pronounced Boob Swatkey. Tender, colorful gems dressed in fresh herbs. I’d never seen fava beans until I came across them in Piotr i Paweł, my neighborhood supermarket.

This recipe comes from my friend, Gosia. Gosia knows that I like to cook and has been giving me pointers on Polish cooking. She emailed to ask if I’d seen bób (broad or fava beans) which were in season and had just made their annual summer appearance in the markets. Her timing was uncanny. I had purchased a packet, thinking they might be fresh lima beans, and cooked them that afternoon. Gosia’s cool, bright green bean salad is a much better use of bób than my experimentation.

I’ve read some recipes online that say don’t bother peeling the beans. Peeling the beans does take a bit of time, but it’s well worth it. I didn’t the first time I cooked them, and I wish I had. The skins are very tough, removing them reveals a tender bean and lets the vibrant, green color show. Two of Gosia’s sons still live at home, and she says if you can recruit helpers, it goes very quickly. I hope you have helpers too when you’re making Bób Sałatki, or Polish Broad Bean Salad!

It’s difficult to imagine that I seldom ate beets before moving to Poland. Now, we have them all the time. A friend has just suggested a new flavor combination – beets and horseradish. It’s a traditional part of a Polish Easter breakfast, but I contend it’s suitable any time of year. The flavors complement each other very well.

For each serving, you’ll need 1/2 cup shredded or julienned beets (canned or roasted); stir in a scant teaspoon of prepared horseradish (adjust according to your own taste.) Serve at room temp or chilled.

Last Friday was a fun day because I rode a bike for the first time in fifteen years and learned how to make a delicious Polish vegetable salad. My friend, Elżbieta, invited me to spend the day with her in Swarzędz, a suburb of Poznań. After cold, blustery weather earlier in the week, we were blessed with warm sunshine which we enjoyed in her garden before and after our bike ride.

Thermomix

Now that I think about it, I learned more than a new recipe. Elżbieta used her Thermomix, which she loves and uses daily, to prepare our salad. First the machine diced all of the veg and fruit for our dish, and then it stirred in the dressing – combining it all nicely without liquefying it as a blender or food processor would. Thermomix also cooks food. I was surprised that I, as someone who knows what a sous vide machine is, had never heard of Thermomix. My reputation is safe; apparently, they’re not sold in the US, hence my ignorance. In other parts of the world, where they are available, representatives sell the machines at home parties, similar to Tupperware or Avon.

Trust me, it’s delicious!

I loved this salad and wanted to make it again before I forgot any of the ingredients. It’s cool and crisp, similar to coleslaw, only better. It’s the perfect side dish for a warm day. As with any salad, use this as a guide and adjust according to your taste and what’s available. Elżbieta tells me that celery root can be diced with the other vegetables and added to the mix.

I’ve been hearing about celery root lately. I’ve never used it before; I wasn’t even sure what it looked like. (It doesn’t help that the signs in my produce department aren’t in English.) After looking at an ugly orb many times and wondering, I finally pulled up a google image to confirm that yes, that was indeed celery root.

Celery root and celery are related but not the same plant. Celery root is cultivated for its root base, not its leafy stalks. It has a tough exterior that should be peeled before using. You’ll notice the scent of celery as you’re cutting into it, but the texture is more like potato.

This salad, which we both really enjoyed, will keep well for a day or two in the fridge; just know that the celery root will take on a hot pink color from the beets.

Inspiration for this recipe comes from Bon Appetit. I had to make a change because I couldn’t find all of the ingredients. These croutons were great on the spinach and egg dish, and they would also be a welcome addition to soups and salads. The amounts here only make two servings, but the recipe could easily be doubled or even quadrupled.

I planned my menu for a 4th of July cookout — heavy on grilled meats, and the day before, I learn that our daughter, a vegetarian would be able to join us. I was thrilled and wanted to offer her something more substantial that grilled veggies and tomato cucumber salad. A quick trip to Sprouts and I came up with this recipe.

What surprised me the most about his dish was that one of our male guests, a self-avowed carnivore, loved the wheat berry salad! That was something I never would have expected. At first I thought he was just kidding me with his compliments, but his praise was repeated more than once that day and the next time I saw him, so I think he was sincere. It just goes to show you that it’s good to step out of your comfort zone because you might find the change enjoyable.

PS — Our vegetarian daughter is now vegan. I can still serve her this dish my omitting the Parmesan cheese and buying or making vegan pesto (one that uses nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese). I’ve become a big fan of nutritional yeast. It’s a deactivated yeast, sold as a powder or flakes. You can find it in most natural food stores. It’s a source of complete protein and vitamins, including B-complex vitamins. It has a strong taste that could be described as nutty or cheesy, so nutritional yeast is a popular cheese substitute for vegans. It’s a great topping for veggies, tofu, or even popcorn!